South Africa Slams US State Department Over “Deeply Flawed” Human Rights Report

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South Africa Hits Back At US Over “One-Sided” Rights Report

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South Africa Rejects US State Department’s “Deeply Flawed” Report On Human Rights Practices

South Africa has issued a blistering response to the US State Department’s 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, dismissing it as a “deeply flawed” and “inaccurate” portrayal of the nation’s human rights record. The strongly worded rebuttal, released by the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on 12 August 2025, accuses the report of relying on outdated, decontextualised information while ignoring South Africa’s robust constitutional protections and independent oversight mechanisms.

“A Premature and Misleading Account” – DIRCO Slams Report’s Methodology

DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri took particular issue with the report’s characterisation of a high-profile farmworker case, which the US document allegedly framed as an “extrajudicial killing” despite the matter still being before South African courts.

“The report selectively presents a tragic incident involving farmworkers as evidence of systemic human rights violations, while completely disregarding the fact that the accused are currently undergoing trial in our independent judiciary,” Phiri stated. “This is not just premature – it’s a fundamental misrepresentation of South Africa’s legal processes.”

The ministry also challenged the report’s treatment of police conduct, arguing that it failed to acknowledge the country’s extensive accountability measures, including investigations by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and oversight from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

“Stark Hypocrisy” – DIRCO Highlights US’s Own Human Rights Record

In a pointed counterargument, DIRCO contrasted the US report with recent assessments from the United Nations Human Rights Office, which in June 2025 praised South Africa’s Land Expropriation Act as a “necessary corrective measure” to address historical injustices.

“It’s ironic that a country which has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council, thereby exempting itself from multilateral scrutiny, would presume to lecture others,” Phiri remarked. “This is particularly striking given well-documented concerns about migrant detention conditions, police brutality, and systemic racism within the United States itself.”

The statement referenced several international reports, including Amnesty International’s 2024 findings on US immigration practices and the UN’s criticisms of excessive force by American law enforcement.

Transparency Push – South Africa to Release Counter-Dossier

To address what it calls “factual inaccuracies” in the US report, DIRCO announced plans to publish a comprehensive response dossier within the coming week. This document will include:

Verified statistics on human rights protections from South Africa’s Chapter 9 institutions
Comparative analyses of human rights indicators between South Africa and the US
Case studies demonstrating the country’s judicial independence

“We encourage the public to review primary sources like the SAHRC’s annual reports and fact-checks from reputable agencies,” Phiri said, directing attention to an AFP investigation that debunked claims of “farm genocide” in South Africa.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to international human rights standards while maintaining that any critique should be “evidence-based and contextually informed.” Diplomatic channels remain open for further discussion, but DIRCO’s statement leaves no doubt about South Africa’s rejection of the report’s conclusions.